Cardiac reinforcement device

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a cardiac reinforcement device (CRD) and method for the treatment of cardiomyopathy. The CRD provides for reinforcement of the walls of the heart by constraining cardiac expansion, beyond a predetermined limit, during diastolic expansion of the heart. A CRD of the invention can be applied to the epicardium of the heart to locally constrain expansion of the cardiac wall or to circumferentially constrain the cardiac wall during cardiac expansion.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A method for treating a myocardial infarction of a heart wall, the heart wall having an epicardial surface wall, said method comprising: 
       (a) selecting a cardiac reinforcement device, said device comprising a biomedical material having a predetermined size, wherein said device is configured to cover at least an area of the epicardial surface of the heart to provide constraint of the heart wall;  
       (b) applying said cardiac reinforcement device to the heart, wherein said device covers at least at an area that has been damaged due to the myocardial infarction; and  
       (c) securing said cardiac reinforcement device to the heart.  
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said cardiac reinforcement device is configured as a patch. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 2 , wherein said patch is applied to the epicardial surface of the heart over a parietal pericardium of the heart. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 2 , wherein said patch is applied to the epicardial surface of the heart under a parietal pericardium of the heart. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said cardiac reinforcement device is configured as a jacket that circumferentially surrounds the epicardial surface of the heart. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 5 , wherein said jacket is placed over a parietal pericardium of the heart. 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 5 , wherein said jacket is placed under a parietal pericardium of the heart. 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the biomedical material comprises an elastic material. 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the biomedical material comprises a substantially non-elastic material. 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the biomedical material comprises a perforate material. 
     
     
       11. The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the perforate material comprises a mesh. 
     
     
       12. The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the mesh is selected from a propylene mesh and a polyester mesh. 
     
     
       13. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the biomedical material comprises a non-perforate material. 
     
     
       14. The method according,to  claim 13 , wherein the non-perforate material comprises silicone rubber. 
     
     
       15. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the heart wall has a compliance and the biomedical material has a compliance that is lower than the compliance of the heart wall.